My object of comfort is little mortars and pestle and, vases that were handmade in Haiti. Foremost, I was born and raised in Montreal, and my parents immigrated from Haiti. Every object that originated from Haiti, they would explain them to me with great pride. When I was younger, I didn’t feel related to my Haitian culture, nor did I feel a connection to Quebec’s culture, where I grew up. I felt like I was borrowing both cultures and mixing them up to complete my need for acceptance from my family or my peers. That’s why I cared so much about the objects that originated from Haiti that were around me. Most of the objects in my house that my parents brought from Haiti have a story, I was able to feel connected to Haiti through their stories. I felt alive when I would listen to them, and they would explain how they used to use those items. Even if I have no memories of Haiti, through their tales I was able to picture how life could have been if I was born there. Moreover, the way they created those objects, the vases specifically, they were made timeless. This is a good aspect, as far as transportation and longevity, there are some objects that didn’t break during the moves, and they are still in a good shape. If someone would come inside my house for the first time and see one of the vases, they could assume that I just brought the vase. Without the context or the histories behind it, it could easily pass as a basic cultural display.

– Megane C.

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant